Road to the draft: Brian Orakpo
NFLDraftScout.com will follow Brian Orakpo's road to the NFL from the combine to his pro day workout to the draft in April. This is the first in a four-part series.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Few players in the 2009 draft class have more individual accolades -- and yet seemingly more to prove -- than Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo.
Ranked by NFLDraftScout.com as the top defensive end of the 2009 class last May, Orakpo's list of accomplishments during his senior season reads like the checklist of a top five pick: consensus All-American, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Nagurski Trophy (nation's top defender), Lombardi Award (top lineman) and Hendricks Award (top defensive end) after posting 42 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. Orakpo is also a standout in the weight room and classroom, so scouts have no character concerns.
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| Brian Orakpo has to prove he is versatile enough to justify a high draft position. (Getty Images) |
Primarily, where exactly he'll fit in the NFL.
Despite playing 47 games at defensive end for the Longhorns, some scouts feel he projects best as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 alignment. Working on the explosiveness and agility needed for either position was his focus in pre-combine training at Athletes Performance Institute in Tempe, Ariz.
How Orakpo does in the shuttle drills, vertical jump and 40-yard dash could be surprisingly instrumental in determining his final draft status -- both in terms of how high he can go and to which defensive scheme he is drafted into.
Estimated at 6-feet-4 and 260 pounds, Orakpo is a hunk of granite. In fact, he might be the most physically imposing player in the draft. His strength -- a 515-pound bench press, 600-pound squat and 380-pound power clean -- is the stuff of legend around the University of Texas and is among the reasons Orakpo chose to work on his speed and agility rather than strength in his preparation for the combine.
Considering his chiseled frame, however, Orakpo lacks much room to add weight, prompting many teams to view his ultimate pro position as rush linebacker. Scouts are often concerned about how players will take to the idea of switching positions, especially those who have enjoyed the success Orakpo has. The uncertainty of his future position isn't a concern to Orakpo, however.
"The thing is if you take a look at the film, there were scenarios where I was a 3-4 linebacker," Orakpo said. "I was very effective getting after the passer and where I was very effective in coverage."
Orakpo elected to do extra work in his combine preparation to focus on both areas, rather than working out exclusively as a linebacker in pre-combine drills.
"A good thing about it [the idea of moving to linebacker] is that I do have some experience there and we've been working on both since I got to API," Orakpo said. "I'll be working as a defensive end and then go and work on linebacker drills."
Still, it is a fine line between versatility and being labeled a 'tweener. To prove he is the former and not the latter, Orakpo will have to work out exceptionally well this week at the combine. It is this versatility and eagerness to be coached that has scouts so intrigued, though there remain concerns.
"You see him do both on film [defensive end and linebacker]," said an AFC scout, who asked not to be identified discussing individual prospects. "He looks like Tarzan, but with guys built like that, sometimes they don't have the flexibility. He isn't explosive off the snap and you don't know how well he changes directions. I think he's more fluid than our area scout does. He could help himself this week if he shows some flexibility and explosiveness."
Of course, regardless of his future position, Orakpo will be asked to run the 40, making this drill an obvious area of focus.
"When I first got to API, they started working on my start immediately. As a defensive end, you get out of your stance and rise right up. When you're running a 40, they'd like you to stay low."
So which position would he rather play?
"I feel like I'm versatile enough to do either," he said, "and through working on both, the results [at the combine] should show it."
Rob Rang is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
